Tuesday, 1 December 2015

IThanks to all who have wished me Happy Birthday, I'm not that well with chemo, and still in bed, but just wanted to say thank you....

I wrote this a few days ago.

I have been a bit quite on the bloging recently.

There as been so much in the news about the tragedy of Paris, that it felt unaproperate writing about my issues.

But thinking about it, this is the perfect time. The news is covered in negativity and its easy to believe that the world is one bad place, but its not, not by a long way.

This week friends of mine organised a party where the proceeds go to Pancreatic Cancer UK. They collected over £2000! I still am shocked.

People, who did not know me where putting £10, £20 pound in the raffle bucket, this was after paying £25 for a ticket and no one complained or questioned it. I hope the guests did not think I was rude, as I felt I spent I most of the night in a shocked state, at the end of the evening I said to Lisa and Ian (from the Yummy Yank) friends and the hosts I wish we could do it all again, and I would have talked to more people, if you was there, Thank you! i am still in shock.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is one of the charities that have helped me more than once. From the very start I was handed books about pancreatic cancer by the charity. They offer advice by there dedicated nurses and helpline, they are also funding projects to find any a cure. PCUK is not a big charity, i know most of the people there by first name, they are a lovely people!, they have helped me a lot.

I had a phone call from Cancer Research UK, they have been in Leeds doing filming and taking photos for the Christmas campaign, this as involved all of the Oncology department and most of St James’s and the LGI. They asked if they could film or take photos of my next appointment. At first there was Rob and myself, the nurses had just connected my first round of chemo and the photographer took photos. I had especially ironed my shirt and did my hair in incase they decided to do anything with the pictures. The photographer was really nice, and we was taking other pictures around the hospital, and he kept coming back to me and Rob. Rob had to then go to work, and my Mum took over. By this point the chemo was kicking in, and i was feeling, slurred, and tired, and out of it. I remember he kept coming back.

At the end of the chemo I unfortunalty took a turn for the worse, and they decided to take me to the upstairs ward and keep me in. I think this was to do with the week before and having blood transfusions and feeling knackered and not sleeping, the photogragher helped as my Mum came up stairs with me as they found a bed.

I am a lot better now, and a week later I was able to come home. They have also given me a week off chemo, so my next one will be this Monday, it is my birthday on Tues but I think we are going to celebrate that this weekend.

Last week, I had a call from Cancer Reseach and they picked one of our photos to be shortlisted to be used, and then today we have been told that our picture has been chosen and will be used for the Christmas campaign on the billboards all around the country. This will be from Boxing day.

I have been involved in the Humans of Leeds project, the photographer who is really nice guy called Z, and I have had some really lovley messages on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/humansofleeds

Z put the link in for stand up to cancer and it is now over the £700 mark, so yet again, Thank you.

The book writing!!!! its really hard! I have wrote chapter 3 now about 6 times, and now I have scrapped it and started with a totally different direction. I am trying!